new vegetables

[gingerly]

not arbi episure-but they have two kinds that i buy regularly!

this is at an indian grocery store and not salsify bague.i will just have to hope that the stuff is still around next visit so i can just pick up a bit to see what it's like close up.it looked like a small tree had been uprooted!the cashier was about as informative as the lady at mongos'grocery store in the 'one is black..'episode-' some people eat it.' he says helpfully!

[jw46]

Was this at an Indian Grocery Store?

If not, then the description sounds like  salsify (vegetable oyster )...a google search will give you more details

should go out and dig a bunch of salsify...All over here growing wild...

But,once again, I'm the only one here that eats salsify ...not one to cook for one.

Edited July 2, 2004 by jw46 (log)

[gingerly]

mystery solved i think.the store owner tells me it's called 'garmar' and he just happened to have some bottled in brine.from what i can find online it seems to be asparagus root aka shatavri in indian herbal medicine.i bought some of the fresh roots and find they have the most amazing fragrance-feel like one might emerge from a hamam smelling like that!and from what i'm reading about the stuff,i may not have imagined the slightest smirk on the owners' face when i added a handful to my groceries!

[Episure]

Can you take a picture?

[gingerly]

before or after will have to rope in non-luddite spouse so maybe in a couple of days..

[gingerly]

don't know about manmohan but this i like!

apjaks' evil twin..monty burns?

[Episure]

apjaks' evil twin..monty burns?

Pliss to explain.

[gingerly]

eeexxxellent...

[gingerly]

i have pictures!-garmar

and a section

[gingerly]

now i have some lovely little kantolas-anyone have special ways with these ?

[worm@work]

Hmmm Kantolas, Love em :). My mom used to slice them thin and sprinkle salt and turmeric powder (and chilli powder perhaps, not sure?) on em and fry them. Yummy. She used to insist that the kantola has to sit for half an hour after the salt and haldi smear... much to my disdain being an impatient, ever-hungry kid.

She also used to make a sabzi with kantola and onions. I think it was the same sabzi she would make with karela. I can post a recipe if you like but you probably already know this since its a very common karela preparation i think.

-worm@work

[gingerly]

please do post-the variations can be subtle but dramatic!these are incredibly tender and good enough to eat raw(ok-i took a small nibble! )no idea if that's safe.i'm thinking of stuffing and grilling them briefly but can't decide on a masala.

[worm@work]

I nibble on all my raw vegetables :) (I'm the only member of my family who eats raw bhindi I believe :O). I'm thinking salt, red chilli powder, dhaniya (coriander( powder, some saunf and some asafoetida rubbed into the slit kantola and then grilled? Yumm... I do the exact same thing (cant remember whether or no I add some amchur powder) to slit tindola (tindli?) and grill them since I like the taste of raw crisp tindola and dont want to do something that'll mask thI e original taste of the vegetable too much :).

I also make a stuffed karela that has raw green mangoes ground with ginger and green chillies stuffed inside the karela .. but for this, I brown the karelas either in the oven or in a kadhai after I stuff them.

My moms karela recipe is as follows :

Slice the karela and slice one big onion (variable depending on how much onion u would like the sabzi). Mix salt and turmeric powder on the karela and keep it aside for half an hour or so.

Heat abt a couple of tbsps of oil and add some grated or finely chopped ginger. Add either finely chopped or slit green chillies (depending on green chilli tolerance levels) and onions and karelas both (my mom adds both simultaneously.. she says both need to be browned in order to kill the bitterness of the karela but I think with kantola one could add the kantola later since kantola is not as bitter as karela?). Then add coarsely ground saunf (fennel), coriander seeds and cumin seeds mixed with a lil bit of water and cook till the sabzi is browned. When it begins to brown, add some tamarind diluted in hot water (just a small pinch of tamarind should do) and cook till the water evaporates.

I always make these dishes from memory and modify by tasting so please excuse lack of precision :(.

-worm@work

[gingerly]

I'm thinking salt, red chilli powder, dhaniya (coriander( powder, some saunf and some asafoetida rubbed into the slit kantola and then grilled?

thanks!this sounds good-the saunf and hing is the difference-see?!these kantolas are not bitter at all but then i like bitter things-mostly!i really should make more effort with karela.i always end up making a jar of crisp,masala chips because that's our favourite.

edit.wrong veg!

Edited July 10, 2004 by gingerly (log)

[Rushina]

We make a salad with raw tondli in my moms house, I remember it because my dad loved it.

split dhuli mung daal (the yellow one) is washed properly and soaked till it has absorbed water and become soft. The tondli again washed well, topped and tailed is chopped into tiny bits. both are mixed together with lemon juice, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Sometimes finely chopped onions are also added. ( I like it spicy)

The way I cook tondli is that I i slice it accross into little circles, I then saute chopped onions til their edges start to brown, add a puree of fresh curry leaves, corriander, tomato, garlic and ginger, cook till the oil seperates and then add the tondli slices cover and cook till the tondli turns a bright green. At this point add turmeric, red chilli, stir and after one minute switch of the gas. (this can be cooked thru but I have a preference for crunchy vegetables) And of course as with all my recipes a little kitchen king goes a long way....

Rushina